Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1887-12-16

SOCo Nbiii i4lIhSis Abo NAbi dh q SdlO
eulogy of the laborer, under the
shadows of the stirring and coming
events of next summer, is followed
by a description of the prices paid
for what they consume. 1t asserts
that taxes should not be so lessened
as to justify the loss of employment
nor the reduction of wages. In just
SO much as the revenue is decreased
on a manufactured article it disarms
our manufacturer and reduces his
ability to pay his wQrkmen by rea-
son of the advantage it gives his
foreign competitor.
1t is true that labor is our great
source of wealth, and any unReceS-
-Sary attempt to force it into artificial
channels or to shape laws to promote
special branches of industry, or to
fix or control the commerce or inter
course between nations would not
be regarded as good policy; but the
message does not seem to regard the
condition of our manufacturers as
affected by their relations to foreign
producers and manufacturers.
Now in order to get at the logic
of the message take a condition of
things near home. Take the exam
pie the message uses, viz: the duty
on wool. 1t uses the novel argu-
ment that because the farmer has
small flocks of sheep, from 2s to so,
and some none, that he who has
little needs no protection, that the
great and powerful only need pro-
lection, and because some farmers
do not raise wool therefore they
ought not to pay, that is, on all art
icles which any portion Of our peo-
pie do not have occasion to use there
should be no tax. What article I'M
der that rule would not be on the
free list? How far is that from free
trade? We all know that the farmer
and agriculturalist is the most i'm,
portant factor in all our land of
enterprise, growth and wealth.
Put iron on the free list; flood the
country with it; ruin our great iron
producing state and build up foreign
manufacturers and then say " Tariff
for revenue and not for protection
Take the condition of our lumber
manufacturers right here at home.
How can they he justly dealt with
under the recommendations of the
message! The wool argument will
apply to them. Many of our people
do not purchase lumber, therefore
ought not to pay taxes on it. Many
lumber manufacturers purchase
lumber, and therefore ought not to
pay the enhanced price, and daties
also. Now let it be put on the free
list. We have an inexhaustible
supply of standing timber; wages
and living here are higher than in
Canada; and Canadians can, for
many reasons, manufacture cheaper
than our people and sell in this coun-
try at prices ruinouS to our mann.
facturers, thus pulling down our
manufacturer, and laborer as we'll
and building up the Canadian inter
est in this respect. While, at the
same time, under the enormous rev.
enues which Canada has imposed by
recent legislation and is continuing
she is protecting her interests, and
we are creating for our interest a
"vicious, inequitable and illogical
aid ruirous inequality between men
engaged in this business in this
country and those in Canada. Al
the same time they are protecting
their enterprises with enormous rev,
enues to the destruction of like ones
in our country. For example, in re-
turn for removal of the duties or
almost every article of the -four
thousand, (for that is the logic OF
the message) they legislate to rot
our manufacturers of their profit on
all their articles consumed in Can
ada. To instance, they drive out
all manufactures of certain kind
of glassware by imposing duty Of
over 40 per cent thereon. This il
but an example, but it illustrates
their general policy. Let us not
stay or destroy that wonderful pros
: perity of our country, over which
the President so much rejoices, by
the suicidal policy to which the re
J concentrations of the message
: would seem to lead us, if we do no
much mistake the tendency nf thu